Basic counting numbers

Level 1

Cardinal numbers (1, 2, 3...) quantify nouns. They usually precede the noun and do not require the noun to be pluralized. The number 'one' often changes to the prefix se-.

How It Works

Indonesian cardinal numbers (bilangan kardinal) are the foundation for counting.

1. Basic Numbers (1-10):
1: satu, 2: dua, 3: tiga, 4: empat, 5: lima, 6: enam, 7: tujuh, 8: delapan, 9: sembilan, 10: sepuluh.

2. Teens and Tens (11-99):
To form numbers, use the numeral elements belas for teens and puluh for tens; after ordinary numbers they are written separately:

  • belas (teens): dua belas (12), tiga belas (13). Note that 11 is sebelas.
  • puluh (tens): dua puluh (20), tiga puluh (30).

For numbers like 25, simply combine them: dua puluh lima. Do not use 'dan' (and) between units; 105 is seratus lima.

3. The 'se-' Prefix and Large Units:
The number 'one' (satu) is replaced by the prefix se- for specific units. This is mandatory for:

  • sebelas (11), sepuluh (10)

It is the normal, default form for:

  • seratus (100), seribu (1.000)

Satu ratus and satu ribu also occur when precision or emphasis matters, as in prices, cheques and legal texts.
For larger units, satu is common and often preferred:

  • satu juta or sejuta (1.000.000)
  • satu miliar (1.000.000.000 / billion)
  • satu triliun (1.000.000.000.000 / trillion)

4. Punctuation:
Indonesian uses dots (.) for thousands and commas (,) for decimals. For example, 1.500 means one thousand five hundred, while 1,5 means one point five.

5. Word Order and Plurality:
Numbers come before the noun. Because the number supplies quantity, ordinary plural noun reduplication is unnecessary. Lexical repetition remains, as in dua kupu-kupu. Use tiga buku (three books), not tiga buku-buku.

6. Zero:
Use nol for math and decimals. Kosong is also widely used when reading phone numbers, room numbers, or codes; nol is not forbidden in those contexts.

Examples (5)

  1. Saya punya dua kucing.

    I have two cats.

    Word by Word: I have two cat.

    Dua comes before kucing. The noun stays in its number-neutral base form; it is not grammatically singular in this phrase.

  2. Harga baju ini seratus ribu rupiah.

    The price of this shirt is one hundred thousand rupiah.

    Word by Word: Price shirt this one-hundred thousand rupiah.

    Notice the use of the 'se-' prefix in 'seratus' (one hundred). In Indonesian, 100.000 is written with a dot as a thousands separator.

  3. Ada lima orang di dalam kelas.

    There are five people inside the class.

    Word by Word: There-is five person at inside class.

    Here orang is the noun people, counted by lima. In lima orang siswa, orang instead classifies the noun siswa.

  4. Mobilnya satu, motornya tiga.

    He has one car and three motorcycles.

    Word by Word: Car-his one, motorcycle-his three.

    This shows numbers used as predicates in a Topic-Comment structure.

  5. Nomor telepon saya kosong-delapan-satu...

    My phone number is zero-eight-one...

    Word by Word: Number telephone my empty-eight-one...

    Kosong, literally empty, is a common reading of zero in telephone numbers and codes. Nol is another possible reading; this is not a requirement to avoid it.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'satu' instead of 'se-' in 10 (sepuluh) or 11 (sebelas).

    Dia berumur satu belas tahun.
    Dia berumur sebelas tahun.

    Forms like 'satu puluh' and 'satu belas' are not used. Say sepuluh (10) and sebelas (11). For 100 and 1.000, seratus and seribu are the normal forms; satu ratus and satu ribu also appear when precision or emphasis matters, as in prices and legal texts. For larger units like 'juta' (million), 'satu' is also acceptable.

  • Reduplicating the noun when a number is present.

    Tiga buku-buku.
    Tiga buku.

    For the ordinary meaning three books, tiga already supplies plurality, so productive noun reduplication is unnecessary. Keep established lexical repeated forms, as in tiga kupu-kupu.

  • Using a conjunction like 'dan' (and) between number units.

    seratus dan lima
    seratus lima

    Unlike English (one hundred and five), Indonesian does not use a conjunction between units in compound numbers. You simply list the units in order.

How It Connects

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Basic counting numbersLevel 1

Learn This First

Cardinal numbers are a foundational concept in Indonesian. To use them correctly, learners only need to understand that nouns themselves do not change form when quantified, as plurality is typically inferred from context or specific number markers.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

se-empatlimatujuhsembilansepuluh